


Glass Prison

by green_piggy



Series: A World of Echoes [2]
Category: Bravely Default
Genre: Gen, not so much fluffy-fluff filled times
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-18
Updated: 2014-04-18
Packaged: 2018-01-19 21:44:02
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 828
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1485145
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/green_piggy/pseuds/green_piggy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Airy has taken her pestering too far, and so Ringabel devises a way to get payback. Spoilers for chapter 4 and beyond!</p>
            </blockquote>





	Glass Prison

Airy was being a pest again. While this was nothing new, Ringabel was tired and cranky after several hours of flying Grandship as the others played poker. Not strip poker, unfortunately, but there was only so much a man could ask for.

Needless to say, he was surprised, but not happy, when Airy decided to drop onto the ship's steering wheel with a savage smirk. “You look happy.”

“Delighted,” he drawled, wanting nothing more than to chuck her over the ship's edge; but Agnès still wanted to awaken the crystals, just _one more time_ , it _could work_ , and... well. He wasn't one to turn down a friend's wishes. “Do you have nothing else to do?”

She stretched a leg up lazily, yawning. “Not really. I mean, if you were actually a decent pilot, we'd be there a lot quicker, but, _well._ ” She laughed. “Even when you've only got one duty, you still mess it up.”

His breath lost him. He stared at her, heart throbbing, head aching, as she foxily gazed at the cloudless sky. How did she- did she _know_ of his returned memories? No, she couldn't have had. Or was she testing him? He gritted his teeth. “Ah, Airy,” he said, trying to keep his voice nonchalant. “Would you mind holding the wheel for a second? I fear I need a drink.”

Her tiny eyebrows raised. “Oh, of course!” She grinned. The fakeness of it made him want to throw her off Grandship. Again.

“I shall be quick.”

“You're not very good at that,” was the sly response.

He ignored her, stomping off to the nearby well to draw up some water. He didn't plan on drinking it, after all. Oh no.

Tiz looked bewildered as he stormed past into the tavern and then returned with a tiny glass, barely the size of his hand outstretched, but he said nothing, only giving Ringabel a small wave. He had enough decency to wave back, of course.

“Don't do anything too dangerous!” Tiz shouted.

Ringabel ignored him.

He filled up the cup with water and returned to the wheel. Airy was now sitting on one of it spokes. Ringabel set the glass precariously close to her, on the small table next to the wheel.

She kicked it with her foot. “Uh, Ringabel? Could you please move that?”

“Now, now, Airy,” he murmured through gritted teeth. His headache was killing him; the last thing he needed to do was another fainting spell, similar to the couple he'd had at the temples in the previous world. Besides, Airy would never stop mocking him if he did. “A good pilot always needs his refreshments close at hand.”

She was tensing up; only a tiny bit, but it was enough. Ringabel bit the inside of his cheek to stop himself from smirking. “Um...” Her wings began to flutter. “I'm going to go check on-”

“Ah! Mountain range!” Grinning, he threw the wheel viciously to the right, throwing Airy off it.

Straight into his full glass of water.

She yelped as she dove in under the water's surface with a gasp. Quickly, Ringabel turned the glass over, trapping the tiny cryst-fairy inside; there was only a small puddle of water left as most of it dripped off onto his boots, but it was worth it. _Well_ worth it.

“Ringabel! _Ringabel!_ You bas- _let me out!_ ” She began to pound on the glass, but she was much too small to be able to move it. “ _Let me go!_ ”

“Am I not allowed a little nap first?” According to the map he had looked at earlier, they were set to travel in a straight line for the next five hours. Perfect. “It _has_ been an awful long day, and as you said, I _am_ rather slow.”

“ _Please_ , Ringabel!” Her voice pitched a dangerous new height. “ _I'll tell_ _Agn_ _è_ _s!_ ”

“Do. Just know that she won't take your side.”

“ _Ringabel!_ I haven't _done anything!_ ”

“Oh, but you have.”

The pounding stopped, just for a second. The shock on Airy's face morphed into savage anger as she smacked her tiny prison. “ _Let me go!”_

He tapped the spot where she was pounding her hands. “Hmm. Maybe later. Ah, is that food I hear calling?”

“ _Ringabel!_ ”

He let go of the wheel and walked down the steps. Soon, the cries of Airy were inaudible. Tiz was sitting at the bar, having a heated conversation with Datz and Zatz, but he stared at Ringabel with a frown as the man sat down next to him. Slipping a drink of water, Tiz let out a weary sigh. “What did you do?”

Ringabel also ordered some water and shrugged. “Nothing much.”

“You have that... that look.” Tiz waved his hand about aimlessly. “That you did something really bad, but you're not going to say.”

“I'm not,” he said smugly. “Don't worry, you'll laugh.”

“I sure hope so.”

And, ironically, it was three hours later that Agnès asked where Airy was.


End file.
